Chronicles of Litwak's Arcade
by crankyman7
Summary: The Surge Protector ruminates on notable events in the history of Litwak's Arcade, from its opening in 1979 through the end of 2012
1. Section I

**Introduction**

As I write, the last minutes of the old year slip away, and 2012 fades into 2013. So much has passed, so many things have happened. My circuits are full, yet I cannot speak- for who will listen to the despised guardian? In my solitude, I turn to writing. My keen powers of observation will, I trust, aid me in the composition of this history.

Yet will they? That night in November -that night on which everything changed- has laid bare the oversights I never knew I made. My powers of observation were not as keen as I thought. How else could it be, that I should not have suspected the survival of Turbo?

But I write nonetheless. For thirty-three years I have defended this arcade. Rejected, detested, friendless save for two, I nonetheless press on. I perform the duty for which I was designed. In the performance of that duty, I have seen many things. Some of those things were pleasurable. Others were disheartening. Still others elicited shrugs. Tonight, they crowd my faculties, take hold of my imagination, refusing to let go. They place pressure on my frame; they must be freed. And so I release them onto these pages. Primitive though such a form of communication be, yet do I embrace it as comforting. It makes me wax eloquent…

…Bah ! Such affectation. I must not weary myself. I am not flowery. This doesn't come naturally to me. It's so…artificial. I must come to the point.

And so I begin.


	2. Section II

**Of My Beginnings**

I am, to put it bluntly, a Surge Protector. I'm an old Surge Protector at that. I debuted in 1979. The latest and the greatest, I was called. Designed by some guy with a pitiful excuse for mutton chops, if I remember correctly. I can't be sure, since my memories from before I was plugged in are so vague.

But what of after I was plugged in? Oh, I remember that vividly. It was, if you will pardon the pun, an electrifying experience.

Yes, I have a sense of humor. Would that I could share it with the world. But it takes a lot out of me to crack a joke. Why, I don't know. But it does.

What can I recall of those first few moments? They consisted chiefly of a flood of information about my purpose. I knew my job was to defend. I didn't see anyone about; I had no idea who or what I was supposed to defend. But I knew I had to defend…something…against storms, voltage spikes, and other such occurrences.

I could observe myself. I had a lot of little holes in my body. Plugs, they call them. I was grey, made of plastic on the outside, with circuits and wiring on the inside. It's all very technical. I'd outline it all here, but I kind of have to dumb this account down a bit, on the oft chance I show it to Otis and Floyd. Good souls, they are, but not overly knowledgeable about such things. And besides, this account isn't just about me. It's about life in Litwak's Arcade.

I should return to the tale.

I recall Mr. Litwak standing over me, quite delighted with my presence. It's not easy to put into words the way in which I was aware of them. I might be able to tell it in binary, perhaps. But English is my means of communicating with the game characters.

I digressed again.

Anyway, Mr. Litwak was standing over me, looking very pleased. He didn't say anything, but he stepped aside quickly. He seemed to be heading towards a brown and yellow cabinet of some kind. It had a long cord coming out of the back. He pulled out the cord, and plugged it into one of the plugs in my side.

And that was when my question was finally answered. I was supposed to defend arcade cabinets.


	3. Section III

**Of the Coming of Pong**

The next thing I knew, I was suddenly absorbing information about the cabinet that had been plugged into me. I learned its, name, its function, and so on.

Its name- _Pong._ I ought to thank my lucky stars that game showed up. Otis and Floyd are among the staunchest friends anyone can have.

Not that I knew what was to come at the time. No, all I knew was what I had already described.

For a time, I could sense that they were within the game. They were safe in there, I knew. Mr. Litwak and a friend of his, whom he called Albert, were playing the game. It was from overhearing those two that I learned the names of the paddles. The names weren't in the code.

Come nighttime, however, Otis and Floyd decided to venture out into the space within the power strip. No sooner had they come out than I began to introduce myself, explain how to stay safe, etc. I was halfway done before I realized they hadn't heard a word I said.

Naturally, this puzzled me. It took several minutes of thinking before inspiration struck.

I gathered various particles of my essence into one place, where I began to shape and mold them. I had only the pair of humans I'd seen as a reference. I confess I was very much a blend of Mr. Litwak and Albert Rae, albeit with some modifications of my own. The receding hairline, for instance? All my idea.

My body formed, I tested it. It was somewhat awkward at first, but a few minutes' worth of practice sufficed to get the basic movements down. Making notes of the composition of particles I had used, I dematerialized and then rematerialized beside the two paddles.

They had been shouting hello for a good sixty seconds by this point, and were in the middle of shouting the word again when I appeared.

"That hurts my ears," I said by way of response. They looked at me -how they did, lacking faces, I couldn't tell, but I knew they did. Their silence was almost like a reprimand.

"I made a factual statement," I said, hoping to ease the tension.

"Okay," the one called Otis replied, his voice rather like that of a specter.

"I did not mean to be offensive," I added.

"No, it's not that," Floyd chimed in. "It's just that you sound bored."

The dramatic contrast between Floyd's more human-sounding voice and his fellow paddle's eerie tones would have startling on its own. But Floyd's assertion gave me additional reason for reflection.

The truth was that I _was_ speaking in a monotone.

"It's just how I talk," I said. "Meantime, I need to inform you of some things.

We then proceeded to converse for quite some time. It was a useful exercise in communication for me, and I was truly fortunate that the paddles were good listeners.

Well, most of the time they were. Every so often, they would insert an aside or comment meant to represent a form of humor.

We parted amicably enough, if exhausted. Getting what I had to say through to them had proven a strenuous task; I simply wasn't used to communicating by my chosen method yet.

Little did I realize how much more labor intensive my duties would soon become.


	4. Section IV

**Of the Expansion of the Arcade and the Early Days**

I could say many things about those first three years. The only question is: which things? So many events, so many new characters who arrived…

Well, I suppose I should acknowledge some of the games that were plugged in during this time. _Asteroids, Space Invaders, PacMan, Missile Command_…bah, there're too many to remember. Many of them are gone now- games have periodically gone down the tube since 1987. I have some suspicions…

…No, this section isn't the place to address them.

Anyways, we had a few new traditions develop during this time. Game Central Station -my innards, mind you- became _the_ place to hang out. This was before Tapper took some of the strain off of me when he showed up later on, you know. I'm sure I irked a number of folks simply by doing my job. In fact, I know I did. I'd relate a few anecdotes about some altercations with the spaceship pilot from _Asteroids_ if it weren't for the fact that some of the things he said would make a drill sergeant blush. There are times when I don't know whether to feel sorry that he died, or relieved that he was gone before _Sugar Rush_ got plugged in. I had enough trouble back in the day just getting the paperboy to watch his tongue, without having to stuff soap into the mouths of a whole swarm of kids. I hope he never relapses, or Ralph may get some awkward linguistics-related questions from Vanellope.

May the developers preserve us if _that_ happens.

I digress again…such is my style.

Where was I? Oh yes- traditions.

I settled into my grand routine, if you will. Day in and day out, no break. What a mercy it is that I'm tireless, so I can perform my tasks efficiently. Well, at least until my parts start to wear down. When that happens, though, one of the workers usually comes along and patches me up, and everything goes back to normal. I'd thank them, but I've never figured out how to speak to them. And of course, there's the fact that it would probably freak them out.

I should say a few words about the customers. In those days, we had a lot of kids. We were really popular. Kids seem to come in a lot of varieties. Some are pretty nice, so far as kids go. Others are among the most thoroughly inconsiderate individuals I've ever seen, getting into arguments about who gets to play what game first, etc. Their lack of logic astounds me at times; I sometimes left wondering if they even know that the concept of taking turns exists.

Then again, some of the kids know the concept.

Oh well, people come in all sorts of varieties, and child gamers are no exception.

Again, I could say a lot of things about this period, but in the interests of brevity, I'll cut this section off here. I've an important event to relate now.

Oh yes- a very important event indeed.


	5. Section V

**Of the Coming of ****_TurboTime_**

Ah, Turbo…Turbo…you…why did you…

…Too soon to relate that. I merely relate his arrival here.

Yet…well, let's just say that when _TurboTime_ made its debut, it wasn't Turbo who looked like the troublemaker. No, that honor belonged to Bunsen. The other twin, Nitro- he was alright. Kind of low-key compared to the other two racers. Bunsen, though- he had trouble written all over his features. The guy's face was an open book to me- frustration at not being the lead character in his own game, at being shouted at by gamers whenever he won, because his victory meant their defeat.

I'll grant that he wasn't so bad initially. Short-tempered and impatient, maybe…but so are plenty of folks. Certainly, he was thoroughly impertinent when he first emerged in Game Central Station and I explained the rules and procedures to him and his fellow characters; he had the gall to interrupt me. But then, I'm not very well-liked anyway, so that's nothing new. Even Nitro, decent as he was, never really seemed to care much about me.

Okay, he never insulted me to my face. That's something at least.

But Turbo didn't either.

Ah, Turbo. I paid so much attention to Bunsen that I missed what was happening with you.

Too soon, though, to talk about that.

But Turbo…you debuted so well. Most everyone loved you, respected you…even when you carried your accounts of your exploits to the level of conceitedness, they were more forgiving of you than of anyone else. You had it all. Even when _RoadBlasters _came and stole your game's popularity, it was only Bunsen who was ever cruel to you- and he was already against you. Why did you shut us out? Why didn't you talk? These characters could have been there for you, if you'd let them.

I could have been there for you.

Why did you throw away everything you ever had?

Why?


	6. Section VI

**Of Fix-It Felix Jr.**

And that other game from 1982- _Fix-It Felix Jr._ Should I call it a heavenly blessing that this game arrived at Litwak's Arcade? Maybe- though if I'd been asked such a question before this past November, I would have called it a mixed blessing at best. Now, though…now…

I must rid myself of this tendency to ramble. It's not very efficient.

I've always held a significant level of respect for Felix. He was a man caught between a rock and a hard place almost from the beginning. It can't have been all that easy, trying to keep the peace in a game riven by a three decade conflict between a major character and the supporting cast. He made plenty of mistakes; honestly, I'm glad he's finally grown something of a spine, standing up for Ralph openly, rather than subtly and sporadically as he could. But to have remained so mild-mannered for so long, never once grousing excessively about what he had to listen to- in his code or not, that still couldn't have been easy for him. He's not incapable of snapping.

Again, he made his mistakes- quite serious ones, as I've said. He should have been bolder that much sooner. He should have confronted Ralph more directly, confirmed the suspicions he plainly had- at least, if the times we would talk are any indication, he plainly had them. But I have to give him credit for being a good, well-intentioned man right from the beginning.

I remember when he first showed up in Game Central Station. "Good day, sir," were the first words out of his mouth upon seeing me, and it's been "Good day, sir" ever since. We never were close, it's true. But he's never antagonized me at all. The closest thing to a sign of impatience that he ever showed was when he would twitch his fingers during my inspections. Admittedly, he did that often. But no more than that. Compared to a lot of what I've had to deal with, it's downright saintly.

He still does it. But now, he always does it with a smile on his face. I think he's happier now. And I'm glad of that.

I wish I could be as happy as he is.


	7. Section VII

**Of the Troubles of Ralph, the Wrecker of Niceland**

And Wreck-It Ralph…ah, Ralph. You nearly destroyed this arcade, only to save its very existence.

I remember when you showed up. Just a gruff face, plenty of complaints about my security checks. And then then the quarrels started with Gene and the other Nicelanders, and your temper worsened.

You may never read this, Ralph. But if you ever do, I want you to know some things. Yes, I sometimes singled you out when I was in a bad mood. That's my fault, and I accept responsibility for all of those times. But I never sought a quarrel with you. In fact, I'd have helped you, if you'd have let me. But then, we don't exactly mix, do we? Perhaps it's because we're too alike, you and I.

Yes, really. I sympathize with you a lot, you know. Mistreated simply for doing your own job- how could I not relate? And I didn't single you out very much, to be often. A lot of times, it was simply because you had a habit of bending or breaking my own rules. I could write a book on the number of times I've caught you at things…and on the number of times I've let such matters slide.

Yes sir, Old Surge is more flexible than he looks. A lot of practice over the past decade has brought that about…

…I get ahead of myself again.

When did the troubles begin? Oh yes- two months in was when I first heard of them. I was never quite sure who started it- you or Gene. It's impossible to tell now. And frankly, now that you and he on the mend, attitude-wise, I'm not so sure it matters anymore. But still…things escalated quickly. He hated your temper first, and then your stench, and then…well, your everything, really. You hated his snobbery, his rigid attitudes about videogame villains that were far more extreme than anyone else's. He gained the trust of all of the Nicelanders, convinced them that everything he ever said about you was true. You made matters worse by keeping the cycle going with your periodic bouts of anger, with your heavy drinking.

It was quite saddening to watch all that for thirty years.

At least now, you seem to be improving. You still don't like me very much, I'm afraid. But your cure's been found. Many are the times I've overheard Mr. Litwak describing the joys of children. I still maintain they can be brats more often than optimists like our owner seem to think. But now…I begin to wonder if he has a point. Your new friend is kind of brat, and she doesn't like me very much, I'm afraid. But still…the expressions on your respective faces whenever the two of you meet- I _am_ glad for you. Even if you won't see it, I truly am.


	8. Section VIII

**Of the 1980s**

The gamers like to talk about how awesome the 1980s were. They wax nostalgic about all the old games, about how cool it is that a number of them are still active at Litwak's Arcade. They love the decade.

For me, the 1980s will always be a pivotal decade. It was a formative period for the arcade in so many ways. As I've already outlined, many games came here during this time- most notably, _TurboTime_ and _Fix-It Felix Jr._ It was the period when the social scene shifted in part from Game Central Station to _Tapper_.

I should really thank old R. B. for taking a lot of the stress I used to experience off of me. To be sure, I still have to worry about characters being outside their own game whenever anybody goes to the bar. But he has a way with people; he keeps things pretty calm. I've seldom had to worry about massive bar fights, and other such matters. He's easygoing, is R. B. He has to be, considering all the tense topics that I understand can get brought up over a frothy mug.

I would thank him, if he ever had enough of a break to come out to Game Central Station. Unfortunately, he's only off duty a handful of times a year.

He could have it worse, I suppose. I'm _never_ off duty. Then again, my endurance level is rather higher than his. I never truly tire, except when one of my parts wears down and needs to be replaced.

I didn't mention that already, did I?

No matter…the 1980s.

I could go on for a long while here. I could talk about the earliest Christmas celebrations, for instance, and the messes those were. Trying to hang piñatas from the tops of trees…characters dressing up as ghosts because they mixed up Christmas with Halloween…well, that's what you get when all most people have to go on are snatches of conversation among the gamers and employees, and the odd radio jingle.

I could go on…but weighty matters draw my attention. The 1980s was also the period when we learned that games themselves could perish.


	9. Section IX

**Of Roadblasters, and the Disappearance of Turbo**

Turbo, thy name is mud.

What else can I say? He made himself the bogeyman of the arcade. With one act, he threw away all the respect and goodwill he had ever gained among the other characters. And now, its two months since I learned that he did worse.

But the day _it_ happened…I remember that day. I remember when he came barreling out of his own game, headed right for _Roadblasters._ I had barely materialized by the time he was out of sight. I called anyway, shouting for him to stop. But he didn't. And in the chaos and confusion that followed, two plugs were pulled out of me. Two plugs pulled while the power was still on.

It's a factor that makes all the difference for a game's environment. If the plug is pulled while the game is powered off, everyone and everything inside is safe. But if the power is on…well, as they say, "game over".

That day was the first time plugs were pulled while the power was still on. I felt the deaths like a shockwave through my innards. The deaths of Nitro and Bunsen…the deaths of every racer in _Roadblasters_. The latter had only been around two months; we barely knew them. Nitro…he was decent person. And Bunsen…granted, he was a jerk, but still…he didn't deserve what he got. None of those characters did.

It caused a stir- even more so when the proverbial dust settled and everyone began working out for themselves exactly what had happened. The legend grew overtime, until Turbo was the monster under everyone's bed. The only solace anyone ever took was their belief that he was dead.

Now, it's harder for me to keep track of the pathways within my walls when I have to devote so much attention to powers surges from outside the arcade, as well as to the whereabouts of characters whose games are still operational. But it's not impossible for me to catch things from time to time. Turbo can't have taken over _Sugar Rush_ and earlier than 1997- ten years after the _Roadblasters_ incident. He would have to have been within the depths of the power strip during the intervening decade. But if he had been there all the time, I would certainly have spotted him sooner or later. Could he have been elsewhere? There were other games he could have hidden in from time to time. There were other games that ceased their functionality ahead of their prime, with the characters never managing to escape when the plug was pulled- unlike the _Q-Bert_ cast who lost their game after 1997. And Turbo apparently learned to hack code…

…By the Developers…no…_no_…


	10. Section X

**Of ****_Street Fighter II_**** and the Origins of Bad-Anon**

…Okay, I'm fine. Well, not really. But I can keep moving on.

Ah yes, the 1990s.

It was a decade that dawned in uncertainty; life never really was the same after Turbo vanished. What a mercy it is that life could also improve somewhat, at least for the arcade as a whole, once _Street Fighter II_ arrived.

For whatever reason, Mr. Litwak had passed on getting the first game. Unlike with the original _Clash of Chaos_, nobody was quite sure why he passed on _this_ first installment. But for whatever reason, he leaped at the chance to obtain the second game. And thank the developers he did. For all their boisterousness, their over-the-top posing and exuberance for life, that game's characters wound up making a huge difference in the arcade's lives. It's thanks to them that Bad-Anon came into existence.

Well, strictly speaking, they had a little help with the idea, courtesy of Clyde. That old ghost lent a huge boost to their efforts, both providing the meeting place and helping to spread the word. He'd been in the business of being a bad guy longer than any of the villains in _Street Fighter II_ by the time the group started in 1993, and was quite happy to sign on. That was the point when Zangief had hit what he always calls "rock bottom". Bad-Anon helped him get over that, of course, as time went on.

Speaking of videogame villains, I should be clear: very few characters in this arcade have ever outright hated the resident bad guys simply for filling the roles that they do in their games, and any that did managed to get over that very quickly. The real problem, as far as the behavior of others is concerned, has always been stereotypes about villains. And even then, there was often a distinct lack of malice involved; situations like Ralph's have only ever happened when other factors were at work. The truth is that a lot of the bigotry has been a result of ignorance. Combine old chestnuts about what bad guys are supposed to be like, and what they're supposed to do, with low self-esteem among the bad guys themselves, and you've a recipe for problems. Add a wide variety of personalities on all sides into the mix and matter get even worse. Even ostensible friends can argue over the misunderstandings that result. The good guys from _Street Fighter II_ figured this out early on, and so they lent their support to Bad-Anon as well. Pac-Man seems to have had an inkling of the problem for some time as well, since he's let Clyde use their game as a meeting site for all these years.

But of all the good guys, it's really been Guile who's stepped up to the plate the most for Bad-Anon. He doesn't attend meetings, not being qualified. But he does try to drum up understanding and sympathy for the members behind the scenes. He's only ever had limited success, but he's always tried.

The tide seems to be shifting of late, though, with Ralph's victory in _Sugar Rush_. Characters are already questioning their old assumptions about the bad-guys. Existing friendships between heroes and villains are being strengthened as a result, while old rivalries are breaking down. It's a lovely sight.

Now, if only the characters could start questioning their assumptions about their old guardian…


	11. Section XI

**Of ****_Clash of Chaos 2_**

_Clash of Chaos 2: Dr. Despair's Revenge_ is one of those games whose plot is so incredibly stupid that it's no wonder gamers love it. The title character, having survived his apparent demise at the end of the first installment, returns to his dark stronghold and plots to turn everyone into zombies and take over the world. The player controls Lady Claudia Hawk, an aristocratic adventurer with a cybernetic eye, as she fights her through a pyramid, from which she retrieves the Amulet of Ra, and then through a temple in the jungle, from which she obtains the Staff of Quatzequatal, before using those artifacts to defeat Dr. Despair in his lair. The gameplay is straightforward- two obstacle courses of sorts, a third in the form of an assault on the villain's tower, and a boss fight at the end, interspersed with cutscenes. The graphics are early 3D, so they're quite crude by today's standards. But the game's still popular.

The majority of the game's characters tend to keep to themselves more than most, though they'll mix with the crowds from time to time. The good doctor himself, though, is a bit more sociable, even if he is rather reserved. Oh sure, his design is over the top. A black coat, pants, shoes, and top hat, an expressionless facemask of silver, blazing red eyes, an ornamented cane, a cybernetic right arm; think a steampunk character crossed with a mad scientist and a tiny bit of your standard sword and sorcery villain and you've got a good idea of his appearance. And yet, after hearing that calm, melodious voice of his, and observing his demeanor, one might still be hard pressed to recognize the cackling, one-dimensional madman who spouts off all those clichés in the actual game. If there's anything I have to give Dr. Despair, it's that he's both intelligent and a good listener. I know I've rattled off a few times to him about various things. Every single time, he's listened calmly, without interrupting me, before wishing me well. He never complains about procedure, either.

If I could just get him to talk more, I think I might enjoy this character's company. But then, he does seem to prefer to go his own way more often than not. And I'm sure he has plenty to do.


	12. Section XII

**Of ****_Sugar Rush_**** and the Debut of His Majesty**

Now that the truth has been unmasked, certain things make sense when they didn't at the time. But "His Majesty" was so good at allaying my suspicions that I never guessed everything- and what I did guess, I easily dismissed.

Foolish me.

From the way things played out, it's amazing that Turbo's takeover of _Sugar Rush _succeeded at all. Yet he had an astonishing array of coincidences all working in his favor. None of the game's characters ever bothered to enter Game Central Station until just over two weeks after the game was plugged in. A weird little technical issue with the wire entrance prevented the other games' characters from visiting the game until I got the matter sorted- about the time Turbo had finished coding himself in, as it turned out, and an issue that took up so much of my attention that I failed to notice his actions. And of course, the fact that Vanellope was only ever chosen by the game's roster once in all of that time- that little coincidence was all that was needed to complete the host of factors that contributed to his success. If I didn't know better, I'd almost say that renegade racer was _meant_ to complete his coup. I'm sure he thought that was the case.

I said Vanellope had been chosen once by the random roster during those first two weeks. I had spent only a little time familiarizing myself with the game's data, thanks to the wire trouble and various other matters. But I had definitely noticed the existence of a character named Vanellope von Schweetz- or, as I believed at the time, _thought_ I had noticed it. As soon as I'd finished the repairs, I started to glance at the data again. She was listed as a dummied out character, which made me wonder. But King Candy, who was the first to exit the game, assured me that she had always been a glitch, and that what I had previously noticed was her malicious attempt to code herself into the game- a "devilishly smart glitch" he called her. I asked him about her picture being on the side of the console, but he had an answer for that one too: she was going to be important initially, and got dummied out late in the development process. The developers just kept her picture on the machine because they thought it looked cool. I'd heard gamers talk about that sort of phenomenon before, so I saw no reason not to believe him. I admit the bit about Vanellope attempting to code herself into the game raised an eyebrow at first, but that little old man was very persuasive. I dropped my objection, and wound up forgetting all about it…until that night this past November, when the truth became known.

If, when Ralph reentered _Sugar Rush_ that night after observing the side of its cabinet, he'd encountered King Candy instead of that paranoid little cough drop, I wonder if he might have been persuaded by the same lies that fooled me. But, as coincidence raised Turbo to the heights of glory, so too did it knock the pedestal out from under him once more.

There's irony for you.

As for what caused that bit of wire trouble…I never quite figured it out. I was able to fix it, but the source of the problem…it was something I couldn't identify. It can't have been caused by Turbo; I have it on good authority from the racers that he never entered the game until partway into that second week.

So what _did_ cause the problem? I don't know. I just don't know.

And the fact that I don't know is what scares me the most.


	13. Section XIII

**Of the Turn of the Millennium**

The 2000s brought plenty of change and plenty of continuity as well. New games came in. _Q-Bert_ got unplugged, leaving its characters homeless. Christmas celebrations evolved into the more complete affairs that they are now. King Candy took the job of playing Santa Claus one year: a memory that I wish could remain as delightful as it seemed at the time. He never did come out of _Sugar Rush_ very often; he had to keep his game safe from the glitch, or so said the racers. So it was always counted as a treat whenever he would show his face.

Turbo must have been delighted at how convincing his disguise was.

I could talk about plenty of things from this time, from how gamer fashion changed, to how slang evolved. Whatever happened to everyone dropping the word "radical" like they had no tomorrow? I could talk about the time somebody rode a skateboard into the arcade and had to be chased out. And the obnoxious pop tunes.

Oh dear, the obnoxious pop tunes.

That weird song about human infants…or baby bottles…or whatever it was. It was just bad. That guy has no talent whatsoever. And that one from South Korea they've been blaring during this past year...okay, that one was a bit better, but _still_, do they need to play it so often? What happened to good old 70s rock? Kids these days have no taste.

Plenty of things I could cover, as with the 80s and 90s. But one thing that happened near the beginning of 2012 begs my attention. I don't know for sure, but…I've a presentiment it could be important for the future.


	14. Section XIV

**Of the Internet**

Somewhere beyond the walls of this arcade, in that mysterious space called the internet, there are beings. This much I know from the time that Mr. Litwak plugged his laptop into me.

It happened one morning that Mr. Litwak had accidently misplaced the keys to his office and, unable to find them, had to await the arrival of one of the other employees with a spare set of keys. He found the missing set before the day was out, of course, but that's all by the by. The crucial thing is that he went ahead and plugged his laptop into me, and then began to use the internet.

I had a good half hour in which to gain information. Yet so vast is the internet, so much does it contain, that I only barely scratched the surface. But I did learn of its origin, of how it worked, and a few tidbits about its history. I also, as I said, learned that there were being on it.

I only ever caught traces of them, as it were. Strange characters from even stranger games…some reputedly from what the gamers call consoles, some from the internet itself.

And then there was _it._

I couldn't quite detect its form, its composition. But its presence…oh yes, I detected that. It felt more horrible than anything I've ever felt in the course of my existence. I'd never felt such hatred, such burning malice, such perverse cruelty, such…hunger.

Mr. Litwak unplugged the laptop not soon afterwards, and the presence vanished. But it had already seared a memory of itself into my consciousness.

I don't know what that thing is. I don't know where it comes from. But for reasons I can't explain, I've a strange feeling that it's left some mark upon this arcade already…and that it may yet do so again.


	15. Section XV

**Of the Night That Changed Everything**

The night that Ralph saved _Sugar Rush_ is the night that I was humbled.

When Ralph went barreling into that game, I made a conscious decision to let Felix and Calhoun catch the cybug. I more or less had to, really. It takes a large amount of my power to materialize inside a game, such that I can't do so for very long- certainly not for as long as it was going to take to catch that bug. So I waited, hoping that the game would be saved. It was. But in the process, my world was turned upside down.

In the course of one night, the entire façade of success that I had unwittingly erected about myself. The scales fell from my eyes and I saw what I had failed to see-

-No. I saw what I hadn't wanted to see.

Turbo had survived, and I should have suspected it. There had been that brief flash falling from the cord of _Roadblasters_ as it was unplugged, hadn't there? I ought to have remembered that. Also, there were all the signs regarding _Sugar Rush_…all the games that were lost. And then there was the biggest clue of all, one that I could shoot myself for neglecting. But I was afraid of the implications, and so I willed myself to forget it. But after that November night, I could no longer ignore the fact.

When _TurboTime _and _Roadblasters_ were unplugged, I sensed the deaths of every character inside of them. And of those characters, not one had been Turbo.


	16. Section XVI

**Conclusion**

That night didn't just reshape my own world. It reshaped the arcade as well. Ralph's journey and his emotional growth have been a catalyst for change. I've touched upon the improving lot of bad-guys, but there's more. Visiting other games is a more popular activity than ever now, especially for that little President.

Yeah, President. That's what she's calling herself now. It won't be long before trouble flares up. She means well, but she should have known better than to elect herself without anybody's consent.

Bah! Those guys in the new game are getting to me. Maybe I should send Vanellope over there- but then, she doesn't really listen to me. And besides, I've already tried to suggest it. She claims she's too busy to visit that game for a long while yet. Maybe Rancis'll convince her. He seems to like it.

Ugh, I'm rambling yet again. I should draw this history to a close.

I get ready to set the pen down for the final time, and thoughts overwhelm me. So much has happened in the thirty-three years of this arcade's existence. I've done my best to watch over the place, but I've made more than my share of mistakes. What's done is done, I know. But still, I wonder: what other things have I overlooked?

A faint voice from the shadowy depths of the future seems to be calling me. Its words are hard to discern, but it seems to be telling me that there's a great test I have yet to undergo- one that will cause either my redemption or my downfall. I don't know if I'll succeed. But even if I do, there's one thing I'm certain of:

The past isn't through with us yet.

* * *

**Another fic ends, and I must deliver my thanks once more. Not that I mind in the least. So, thank you once again for sticking with this fic. I hope you have enjoyed it. As always, any feedback you choose to give me is most welcome. I read every comment/review I receive for every fic I write- including the stories I completed a long time ago.  
**

**Addendum- For those curious about the implications of Surge's final thoughts, or about what the future holds for him, I would like to direct you towards my series of post-movie fics ["An Anthology of Wreck-It Ralph Tales", "Pangs of Confusion", "A Dying World", "Search and Rescue"]. Although he is not their main focus, parts of those fics do deal with his premonitions and his further character development. If you're wondering about the monstrous thing he sensed on the internet...well, that's part of a future fic I'll be writing.**


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